Trust: It’s not a four-letter word

Shattered glass.

In a split second, a smooth, clear sheet of glass can break into a thousand pieces. The edges that, just a moment ago, were smooth and round to prevent cuts could now slice your skin without a second thought.

So it is with trust.

When created, it provides a clear view of someone. You see them for who they are, smudges and all. And really, it’s in the smudges we learn where we need to clean the glass.

But like glass, trust can shatter in a split second. With one word, one action, your grip on the glass slips, and it hits the ground.

Why, then, should we even bother building trust with anyone? People lose their balance all the time, causing the glass to fall from their hands. And so we’d rather just keep our glass tucked inside our jacket where we know it will always remain safe.

The thing about trust, though, is that it’s something we all crave yet fear to use.

Who can you trust?

In his book “The Search for Significance,” Robert S. McGee asks the question that if you aren’t willing to trust God, then who are you willing to trust?

When struggling with trust issues, the first question you need to ask yourself is, “Who do I trust?” If you’re placing all your trust in another human or even yourself, then there’s problem number one.

We’re commanded to trust in the Lord with all our hearts (Proverbs 3:5). When we place all our trust in someone besides the Lord, we set ourselves and the other person up for failure. Christ is the only being who will never break our trust. If we would rather trust sinful humans over the Creator of the universe, then we’ll be sure to walk through life with trust issues.

Why should we need to trust?

Placing our trust in the Lord does not mean only placing our trust in the Lord. God created us as relational beings, and that means we can dare to trust others.

We all have stories from the moments when our glass shattered. Most of those moments include the sting of cuts as we tried to pick up the pieces.

But you know what those moments also include? Someone else coming alongside you to help pick up the pieces. Someone whose hands already have scars on them, scars that go much deeper than the sting of cuts. And He tells us to stand up and keep going.

We are not only commanded to trust the Lord, but we’re also told to trust others. 1 Corinthians 13:7 tells us that love always trusts.

Not sometimes. Not when it’s easy. Always.

This does not mean we trust every person in our path. We are not commanded to trust all. The person who breaks into your neighbor’s house, maybe you shouldn’t trust that one. The person who shatters glass everywhere they turn, probably don’t trust that person either.

But we’re given the opportunity in this life to be vulnerable with people who walk the same road we walk. There are people who desire to know you, live life with you, love you and trust you. Why would you want to keep them at arm’s length simply from fear that your glass will break?

The Challenge

Trust isn’t something we should stay away from in order to protect ourselves. Don’t cringe when you think about trusting people. Don’t treat it like a curse word, a word you’re trying to keep out of your vocabulary.

Here is the challenge: Find at least one person in your life who has given you reason to trust. A person who you know would encourage you toward Christ and help you learn how to trust others and how to trust the Lord more. What’s holding you back from a friendship like this? Don’t allow fear to cause you to journey alone.

Take your glass out of your jacket. Trust them with it. You may find them stronger than you thought.

Let’s Talk About It: What do you find difficult when trusting others? Why should you trust God first?